Island

#21 of My Fragrance Journey Khadlaj Island: The Perfect Staycation in a Bottle (sort of) I don’t even know why I bought Khadlaj Island. Maybe it was the weather - grey, endless rain, that heavy sky that just sits on you for days. Maybe it was me scrolling too late at night, reading people call this stuff a piña colada in a bottle or a “cheap holiday for thirty quid.” Whatever it was, I clicked buy. Didn’t even think twice. And yeah... blind buys are always a gamble. Half thrill, half regret. The first spray hits and - wow. It’s loud, like someone just shoved a fruit basket in your face. Grapefruit that bites, pineapple that’s so sweet it almost drips. Sharp, juicy, blindingly tropical. Not subtle at all. Part of me loved it instantly. Part of me thought, oh god, this could be too much. And honestly, depending on the day, I still swing between those two takes. As it calms down, though - ah. Mango, coconut, that creamy sun-warmed sweetness that makes you forget you’re staring at the drizzle outside your window. Not “cheap sunscreen coconut,” but the kind that feels like dessert served under palm trees. Then the flowers come in - tuberose, tiare - just enough to stop it from being pure fruit salad. By the drydown, it softens into something smoother, woodier, almost comforting. Tonka, sandalwood, a touch of warmth. Performance is... weird. On me, it’s fine. Six, seven, eight hours. A big push at the start, then it chills out. But I know loads of people say it dies after an hour. Maybe it’s nose fatigue. Coconut-ambroxan blends can do that. You stop smelling it, but it’s still there, just humming along. Would I recommend it? Depends. If you’re after something quiet, soft, “fresh out of the shower” - nope. This is bold, a little brash, unapologetically tropical. But if you want that holiday energy bottled up, if you like Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc or LV’s Pacific Chill but don’t feel like spending your rent on them - then yeah, this is a fun one to have. For me, Khadlaj Island isn’t Bali in a bottle. But it will take the edge off a grey Tuesday morning, give you a little golden-hour glow when you need it most. Like a daydream you spray on and carry around. Staycation vibes, with a splash of regret, a splash of joy. Both at once. (Kind of like the day I missed my flight - long story - but I still remember the way Luc smiled, and somehow that made the whole thing worth it.)

Overall thoughts and scent profile: Honestly not an amazing scent profile, to me it just smells like a very slightly sweet but very creamy and "warm" coconut smell, it's very smooth and creamy which is detrimental to it being a fresh summer fragrance, to me it's nowhere near as sweet as everyone else makes it out to be, I honestly wish it was sweeter, for reference in terms of sweetness id rate other fragrances as follows: montale arabians tonka: 8.5/10, french avenue liquid brun: 9/10, lattafa khamrah: 8.8/10, afnan 9pm night out: 7.5/10. But for khadlaj island I'd give it maybe 4 or 4.5/10. It's not very sweet at all, not cloying at all even if I put my nose super close to my arm or clothes. Presentation and bottle quality: Incredible presentation, the bottle looks and feels very premium and super good looking, the pressurized atomizer is insanely high quality, easily the best atomizer on any fragrance in my collection (Significantly better than even rayhaan's premium pressurized atomizers). Performance: Mediocre performance, it unfortunately performs like a fresh fragrance while smelling more like a fall-winter fragrance, On skin get I around 1-2 hours of moderate projection, then around 10 hours of it being a skin scent. On fabrics I get around 1 hour of moderate projection, then around 10-12 hours of it being intimate. Blind buy factor: It's very inoffensive, but it doesn't smell amazing to me either so I'd say smell the original Le Beau Le Parfum first, if you like it then this will be a safe blind buy. Final rating: 7/10

Opening: strong burst of pineapple, quite sharp, wears out after like 2 mins - smells a little like montblanc explorers opening (7.5/10) Drydown: goes into a creamy and sweet vanilla coconut scent - somehow manages to present the sweet creamy coconut as fresh and light by adding undertones of pineapple - I don't even know how they pulled it off (9/10) Projection: pretty good, projects for like 3-4 feet with 5 sprays - very noticeable and present smell, but not at all offensive (9/10) Longevity: although you do experience some nose blinding, people can smell you for around 6-8 hours (8.5/10) Versatility: I think that the coconut and pineapple fruity fresh side of this fragrance makes it nice for spring and summer, but it is also sweet and creamy enough to wear in winter and fall (9.5/10) Uniqueness: few fragrances for men feature coconut, and the coconut note in this fragrance is the most prominent one - you will stand out, but not at all in a bad way, whilst also having a fresh fragrance, which typically aren't unique (9.5/10) Price value: for £29, this is an absolute must have - it smells like a £200 fragrance, is very versatile and unique (10/10) Bottle and atomiser: the atomiser is amazing and pressurised - ridiculously good for a £29 fragrance, and the cap and bottle are both weighted with a very high quality feel to them - the texture of the bottle is also very nice. (10/10) Overall score: 9.125

This is a blind buy, and I don't have LBLP. Out of the box this is strong, I got the 01/26 batch. Pineapple is the strongest note I can smell here, followed by a sort of chill but sweet ginger, and then a familiar mandarin orange like note that Armaf's Mandarin Sky has, but without the overly sweet profile. I also get a milky coconut note but it's under that super strong pineapple. The pineapple isn't too bright, but it is the frontman for at least 1 hour. It dries down to a chill ginger and tonka bean with still some fresh orange-y notes, and more woodier with hints of coconut and sandalwood. Lasts very long on both my skin and fabric, being able to get 8 hours of longevity. Projection wise though, this one is moderate. Maybe I feel like the max is around 2-3 meters. For now I like this a lot, but I will give it time to sit and mature first for some weeks so I can update my review later. I feel like maturing this will give it the best performance. Overall good so far! 1 MONTH UPDATE: I now get the coconut note, and that mandarin orange got superbly better. I also get a nice, not cloying pineapple note. It's fresh but playful at the same time, good for young adults and for casual/ daily occasions. I get nose blinded easily with this. It doesn't seem strong but it is. With the added maturing it adds a few additional inches of projection and an extra hour of longevity on my skin.

The opening is an airy tropical blend with a pineapple coconut water feel, lifted by a noticeable ginger freshness. It feels light and fresh with good lift, while a faint powdery iris sits in the background adding a soft texture without dominating. In the mid, the ginger fades and the scent becomes denser and more powdery, shifting into a fruity coconut core with a subtle woody backbone. As it develops, the density eases and the fragrance becomes more airy and blended, with the powderiness still present but less dominant. The drydown sees the iris fall back, allowing the fruit, coconut, and woods to stand out more clearly. A slight amber warmth emerges in the background, adding depth while the overall scent becomes lighter and more diffused. It lasts about 6 hours, finishing as a soft, airy fruity-coconut with light woods and subtle warmth. A great value dupe of LBLP. The bottle, smell, and presentation is all high quality. The only downside is the projection and longevity. I got this in a trade, so not sure about maceration, but as it stands now the performance is relatively poor. But as it stands, still an amazing value. Edit: sold. The opening was amazing but it quickly transitioned to a boring and bland powdery Drydown that I could not get on with. 6/10